Fairfax County Jail Welcomes Visiting Danish Lawyers

April 2, 2012

Touring the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center was the first agenda
item for a group of 36 defense lawyers visiting the United States from
Denmark to learn first-hand about the U.S. criminal justice system. The
delegation’s three-day tour also included stops at the U.S. Supreme
Court, the District of Columbia Courts, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the
District of Columbia, Public Defender Service for the District of
Columbia and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (U.S.).

Why the stop in Fairfax County? “We found you on the Internet,” said
Henrik Stagetorn, head of the delegation and president of the Danish
National Association of Defence Lawyers (Landsforeningen af
Forsvarsadvokater in Danish). After reading about the size, structure and
operations of the county jail on the Sheriff’s Office web page, Stagetorn
thought the facility would provide his group with a comprehensive and
representative look at local detention in the U.S.

Lieutenant Steve Elbert, who conducted the tour, was impressed with the
questions posed by the Danish lawyers. “They were curious about the
booking process, parole, solitary confinement, inmate clothing, family
visiting, gangs, inmate programs and work release,” said Elbert.

While Danish jails have many similarities to the Fairfax County jail,
the lawyers noted a few differences. In Fairfax County, as in jails
across the country, segregation of inmates is used as a disciplinary tool
for infractions committed during incarceration. In Denmark, segregation
of inmates is used only during an investigation phase to isolate an
inmate from outside contact.

In Fairfax County, inmates are separated from their visitors by a glass
wall to prevent contraband from being passed among them. In Demark,
contact visits are generally permitted with family members. However,
Danish lawyer Anne Lett acknowledged that Danish jails probably have more
problems with drugs and contraband than does the Fairfax County jail.

Denmark allows all inmates to work inside the jail and earn a small
wage. In Fairfax County, only inmates who meet a list of requirements may
apply for a job on a workforce crew, including laundry and janitorial
services, the kitchen and the library. All jobs are performed voluntarily
but earn the inmate rewards such as waiver of the $2 per day housing fee
and the potential to earn “exemplary good time credit” against their
sentence.

The Fairfax County jail has an average daily population of 1,226
inmates. Approximately 26,000 individuals are booked into the jail
annually. Charges range from trespassing and drunk-in-public to rape and
murder. When individuals are arrested and sent to jail—prior to and
post-conviction—they are classified according to the level of danger they
pose to themselves, other inmates, correctional staff and the community.
Security levels include minimum, medium and maximum. The jail is unique
in the nation because it provides four types of
housing— direct, linear, podular and single cell. Where inmates are
housed and what activities and programs they can participate in depend on
how they are classified.

The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office conducts a limited number of group
tours of the Adult Detention Center by appointment only. For more
information,
contact Lt. Steve Elbert via email or call 703-246-3251, TTY 711.